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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — in golf
  3. snap — to click
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a hole
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com